Can serving fill a void in your heart?

Have you ever felt that your life was destined for more than what you are doing?  Do you feel a void in your heart that just cannot seem to be filled?  I believe happiness is brought through serving others, being compassionate, useful and respectful.  No matter how long you have to live on this earth, giving these to others bring great joy in a life well lived.

My daughter and I were already committed to a serve team in Honduras, leaving just 90 days after our son went to Heaven in 2014.  I was hesitant about continuing on the trip with great grief pounding down on us.  We decided that our son would have wanted us to go, so we went.  We experienced great healing on that serve team.  Realizing the daily gifts we so often take for granted here, such as clean water, a home, flushing toilets and medical care.  The blessing of serving gave us unexpected strength.

People of a third world country are so grateful to accept help without complaint of how it is handled.  We could hardly wait to go back again.   The young adults that joined us on the serve team this year, experienced a powerful insight of a bigger picture in this world.  Not the vacationing experience most have, but visiting the poor and helping those in need.  There is no denying the real needs here in our own country.  Circumstances are devastating in many places.

The main reason we are on mission is to spread the word of Christ.  Medical needs are met and we pray though evangelism.  Salvation is all about God.  We can share the gospel and people can accept or deny it.  All we can do is what we are led to do through His word and prayer.  It can be discouraging in one moment and purely uplifting in another.  My first year I was SO nervous to share my faith with others.  These were strangers, let alone someone I knew!  Respectfully written, our faith is not something we casually discuss in this our land of the free and home of the brave.  This year was different.  I was at ease and realized I would do my best, as I knew it was in God’s hands.  It is amazing how much one can grow, no matter the age.

I believe the best teachings are stories of others journeys.  I have learned that God is the only one who can change hearts.  A forever friend shared with me that our sinful nature is such a powerful strong force that once we respect and understand that, we recognize that we are completely at God’s mercy.  We cannot control or change our own hearts, so how can we change someone else’s?  We may see or experience ourselves wallowing in sin half of our lives before we understand how Christ’s love can change our hearts.  This does not mean life will be easy, just that we are not in control and must turn our lives over to God and pray that His will be done.

Recently, I have spent hours of my life hoping and praying that I could change the bad choices being made by young people today.  I don’t want them do die without knowing Christ and really understanding what it is to live for Him.  I realize today that no matter what opportunities you give people, they may choose to continue down a path of destruction.  I have had people tell me, “good luck saving the world.”  Thank God, that was already done and it’s not on me, a poor miserable sinner!  Jesus died on the cross to save us from our sins and that includes me and you.  It’s a choice we all have.

The song below fills my eyes with tears and my heart with joy as God has opened my eyes to serving.  I pray others may realize this gift we can give.

“I, the Lord of sea and sky, I have heard my people cry. All who dwell in deepest sin, My hand will save.  I, who made the stars of night, I will make their darkness bright.  Who will bear My light to them?  Whom shall I send?”

Here I Am, Lord.  Is it I, Lord?  I have heard You calling in the night.  I will go, Lord, if You lead me.  I will hold your people in my heart.

“I, the Lord of snow and rain, I have borne my people’s pain.  I have wept for love of them.  They turn away.  I will break their hearts of stone, give them hearts for love alone.  I will speak My word to them, Whom shall I send?”

Peace and blessings today and always…

MamaC

The video below is a peek at our week…